This is a link to a program that automates the web page. Works GREAT! Similar to the program for the 3270 green screen named Magic Disk.

www.magicwebfx.net

 

Trip Manager is a nice tool, but don't think for a minute that it offers you all the options you'd expect from a travel agent type tool. It doesn't look at all airlines as an example, so there could be way cheaper fares, but you won't know it by using Trip Manager. As an example, it doesn't track Southwest Airlines, JetBlue, or United Express, just to name a few. As well, when you have to change your password for VIPS or IMS, or any other FDX computer system, that one password change is supposed to filter down and change ALL your passwords. All that is, except Trip Manager. It's a great tool to use to find a flight that seems to get you where you want to go, in your timeframe, at a cost that's within your deviation bank. Again, it doesn't check all carriers, and doesn't even list all legal multi-leg flight pairings. I use it to get an idea of my options, then I call Corporate Travel and usually have them issue me the eticket, on specific flights that I've picked out using Trip Manager. As FDXLAG mentioned, you can, using Trip Manager, have any number of reservations for the same city pair, on the same day. It doesn't care. However, you might, if you don't cancel the ones you don't plan to use in a timely manner. Some airlines have a cancellation fee that they charge, if the passenger doesn't cancel a trip in the allowed timeframe (so they can resell that seat.) That fee will come out of your bank. You can cancel the flights through Trip Manager or through Corporate Travel.

 

My experience is you can only cancel reservations made with Trip Manager. Once the ticket is purchased you have to call Global Travel to cancel.

Trip Manager also does not always show flights that are close to sold out. I've checked TM and no flights are listed but by calling GT I can still get a ticket.

 

I have had the opposite experiance of Global Travel telling me no flights or fare to high but tripmanager books me no problem. So use all your options.

 

Getting away from trip manager for a minute...any inputs on these issues??

 

The advantage us "old heads" had is that we learned to use VIPS when it was not as verbose as it is today, and so there was less to learn. The advantage most of you "new guys" have is that, for the most part, you're more computer literate. Other than that, I'd recommend that you "play" with VIPS every chance you get. Especially screens that can have both a positive or negative effect on your work-a-day life. Screens such as Open Time, Trip Trade, Bid Line Adjustments, Vacation and Monthly bidding, etc. Unfortunately, there's no course offered that gets you up to speed, and if you're like the majority of the rest of us, (IMHO) you will learn something real well.... after screwing it up once or twice. As far as some of the "not so obvious" screens, well, they're that way because you really don't need them to do your job. They are just really nice to know things, like pay summary, bank balances, per diem recap, etc. Again, you'll have to play with them to get to know them. Think of the time as an investment in your future here at FedEx. Learn them well and they will stand you in good stead.

 

As someone stated earlier, if you bring up your calendar, the links on the left are the one's that you tend to use the most. Included is Pay summary. As far as the leveling page, you just click on the green reserve line on your calendar for the day that you are interested in, and the leveling page for that day appears.

 

Sorry...I guess I'm not asking my question correctly. I am wondering what all the abbreviations on each screen means. When I look at the bid pack, what are all those abbreviations? There is no guide included with the bid pack to tell you what each line or pairing is saying. When I get to the Pay summary or leveling screens, what exactly am I looking at? Is there no guide to help you along? Hopefully that clears it up. Sorry for the confusion

 

I don't think there is a guide or explanation for most of the abbreviations on the pay screen. I think most of the bidback abbreviations people just figure out over the years by experiencing those types of trips. I've never seen any explanation of any of them anywhere. Maybe your best bet is to list some of them here and we can hopefully answer some.

 

TRADE WITH OPEN TIME

You don't have to DROP a trip to ADD one. You can TRADE WITH OPEN TIME (VIPS/BID LINE ADJUSTMENTS). TRADE WITH OPEN TIME will help you swap an undesirable shift on your schedule to swap with one more desireable in open time. If someone beats you to the desireable open time shift, you haven't lost anything because your TRADE will be disapproved due to "earlier timestamp" etc. Thus you don't have to go into open time to retrieve your shift that you dropped to keep your cash for the month.